A Bit of Yorkshire in California

Posted by Don Smith (California, United States) on 10 April 2009 in Landscape & Rural.

The southern Santa Clara Valley is a coastal valley located 90 miles south of San Francisco and about 20 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean as the crow flies. In the spring, the green hills come to life for about two months before turning golden brown for the summer and fall months. Stone fences, though common in the UK, are an anomaly in California, though they do exist. This scene has always reminded me of my wife's home in Yorkshire, though the hills there remain green all year.

I found this setting on another early morning drive through the eastern hillsides about 15 minutes from my home. The last remnants of morning fog were dissipating yet still clinging to the Santa Ana Peaks. The oak-dotted hillside contrasted nicely with the morning sky.

Though I travel a lot in search of landscape images, I constantly have to remind myself that beauty resides within minutes of where I live. I'm sure this is true of many of you. We tend to overlook our own surroundings as they become commonplace to us. No outside photographer (amateur or professional) knows your area as well as you. Get out and explore and try to keep a fresh perspective on familiar scenes, you will be amazed at the potential joys that await.

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Comments (16)

Sergei Z from Türi, Estonia

Very beautiful place! I'd like to walk there for hours (of course if camera is with me). Great shot!

10 Apr 2009 7:15am

@Sergei Z: I love driving through this area also Sergei, it is very peaceful.

Ana Lúcia from Leiria, Portugal

It's a glorious nature composition.

10 Apr 2009 8:33am

@Ana Lúcia: Thanks Ana, hope you are well.

Judy from Brooksville, Florida, United States

........ and only 15 minutes from home? You live in an especially beautiful spot, Don, and minus the mountain peaks, it could be Yorkshire. I've never seen the CA hills so green; this is gorgeous!

10 Apr 2009 12:43pm

@Judy: Hi Judy, I live in what is called a "coastal valley," you are looking southeast in this image, the great central valley of California is over those peaks and the ocean is about 20 miles behind me; unfortunately, these hills will begin to turn brown in another couple of weeks as our weather starts to warm. For now, it is paradise.

john4jack from Corvallis, Oregon, United States

Gorgeous scene; so beautifully captured, Don. You are so right about close to home. The light in this shot is exquisite.

10 Apr 2009 1:04pm

@john4jack: Good morning Jack, I would venture to say 25% of all my stock submissions which Getty selects is shot within 20 minutes of my home. Having said that, I'm off to Utah next week. Have a great weekend.

Tracy from La Selva Beach, United States

Awesome! I love the way the hills give way to the craggy peaks...Beautiful!
You are SO right about our own surroundings seeming commonplace, too. Sometimes when I see a photograph that was taken close to home, I don't even recognize it! It is amazing what another person can see in something we may see every day :)

10 Apr 2009 1:06pm

@Tracy: You are so right Tracy, I love seeing photographers from outside the area make images around here, they see things with a fresh perspective. I catch myself many times saying, "why didn't I shoot that." We live in a nature photographer's paradise in my opinion.

john4jack from Corvallis, Oregon, United States

Southern Utah is one of my favorite photographic spots in the world. It is one of the few places where I keep going back. After you have done the classics a few times, there is so much left to enrich ones photography.

10 Apr 2009 3:36pm

@john4jack: I concur Jack, Utah is a beautiful state. Hope all is well.

Jen from St. George, United States

Yet another great shot that takes perfection to a whole new level! I have to tell you... I went to the St. George Arts Festival today, and it turns out that you've ruined "average" landscape photography for me! I only found one photographer who's worked Wow-ed me as much as yours does!! :)

10 Apr 2009 11:53pm

@Jen: Wow, that is very high praise and I truly appreciate it Jen. I draw inspiration from many photographers including: Galen Rowell, Art Wolfe, William Neill, Ansel Adams, Tony Sweet, Andre Gallant, and all of the wonderful image makers here on Aminus3, including yourself. Part of the beauty of photography as an art-form is that there are no "right or wrong" images, there are just beautiful pictures that make us all stop and look at this world in complete amazement.

Scott Schilling from San Martin, United States

Don, another beautiful image from outside your front door - I can see these hills from my house! Beautiful work - the rock wall is spectacular also! This may be a good sunset location also - as sometimes there is a line of fog against the hills or clouds above that turn rosy also. I hope you made it back safely from your trip. Good point on looking right around us - I have driven all over the State of California for the past two years photographing the landscape and I took a photograph of some poppies in the rain probably 500 feet from my front door - and it is one of my wife's favorite that I have done so far!

11 Apr 2009 5:26am

@Scott Schilling: Hi Scott, I really believe that we are all guilty of taking people and places closest to us for granted. I really enjoyed looking at your images a couple weeks back that you took from east of Fairview Road, it gave me a fresh perspective on scenes I've been looking at for years. I hope you and your family have an awesome and safe Easter weekend! We are off on a hike to the Pinnacles today.

"Marie" :-) from perth, Australia

Hi, this is very like Yorkshire in the UK, the green the rocks and the great walls. Beautiful shot.

11 Apr 2009 11:48am

@"Marie" :-): If you can just imagine the wind and sporadic rain showers, it would be summer in the Yorkshire hillsides. Reminds me that I need to get back for a visit.

Magda from Vancouver, Canada

What a beautiful terrain! What a view! Gorgeous

11 Apr 2009 3:25pm

Yonatan from Bronx, United States

What a beautiful view! You are absolutely right about your very own neighborhood. My mother lives in a beautiful part of Pennsylvania filled with winding roads and old farm houses. I keep making mental notes of places to photograph and when I finally have the time I know I will have the opportunity to capture some wonderful pictures.

12 Apr 2009 2:57am